Portable platform.



PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

J. DOWNS.

PORTABLE PLATFORM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7.190s.

Patented February '7, 1905.

PATENT FFICE.

JOHN DOlVNS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PORTABLE PLATFORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,012, dated February 7, 1905.

Application filed July 7, 1903. Serial No. 164,505.

To It 1071,0711 it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Dowxs, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of 41 Dartmouth Park Hill, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Platforms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to portable platforms for obtaining easy access to electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants suspended from ceilings or roofs of buildings, so that work may be done upon such pendants without raising or lowering them or moving them in any manner from their suspended position.

I attain the purposes and objects of my invention by the means illustrated in the an nexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on the line XY, Fig. Fig. 4 is a detail of the counterweight cross-head 0, Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 represents my device in operation in raised position. Fig. 6 shows my device in a lowered position.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and figures.

My improved platform has a frame A, preferably of tubular construction. The handrail B is preferably added to insure the safety of the operator. The platform C is clamped to frame A with clip-bolts 1/ and is used by operator to stand upon while working. The ring D, preferably of tubular construction, is attached to frame A by two crosses c, with vertical pieces 1, preferably made of tubing. This ring D may also have a bow-bracket E, preferably having four arms, which is held in place on the ring D preferably by the bolts and nuts of runner-brackets F, which pass through ring and bow. This bow-bracket E preferably rests upon a socket on the central upright G and held in position by two locknuts (I. Underneath the tubular ring D is a roller-path H for runners J. This path H is kept concentric with tube G, preferably by having four arms a fixed into it, the other ends of which are secured to a boss f and keyed to center upright (or tube) G. This roller-path H is also securely attached to central tube G, preferably by a bow-bracket K, secured by lock-nuts (Z. The top part of central tube G may have a bell-mouthed socket L, which fits the end of electrolier or other pendant and may be firmly secured to it by a hand pinchingscre\\' /1 or the top of the central tube G may be a guide-sleeve at its upper end, as shown by the dotted lines marked T, which may be made to slide over the central tube of electrolier-s or other pendants. The bellmouthed socket I. or the guide-sleeve T serves as an axis around which the platform may be revolved. Preferably a bracket S, through which central tube G passes. is fixed to the top tubes of frame A to make the platform rigid and strong. Attached to this portable platform there may be counterweights M M, preferably carried on a spindle j, with two runners N, which roll upon a part of the tubular frame A. Conveniently located on the frameA as at the ends, as shown in the drawings, are two brackets Z, each having two guide-pulleys m, and around these pulleys a rope or chain 11 is passed, the ends of which are fixed to a ring 0 on the spindle j. Intermediate on and attached to this rope or chain is a sliding crosshead 1, moving preferably on two Z'iron guides 1 Fig. &. This cross-head may be clamped or unclamped by means of the hand wheel 0 and the screw center-bolt r. This cross-head is moved by operator either from or toward the central tube G, which cross-head in turn moves, preferably by means of the rope I), the counterweights M M in the opposite direction to which the cross-head movesz'. e., if the cross-head is moved from the center tube G then the counterweights are moved from the center tube G, and vice versa.

My platform is hoisted into position by means of a rope, chain, or rod R passing from the roof down the central tube of the pendants, the platform, with a workman upon it, Fig. 6, being hoisted into position for working, as shown in Fig. 5. The platform when hoisted to position under such pendants may be attached thereto by means of the locking screw or cotter 71., which forms apart of a vertical tube or rod of the platform. In

this manner the platform may be made rigid with the pendant to which it is attached.

1 and 2.

or near the lower end of this vertical tube or rod may be fixed a circular roller-path H, and on this path the platform revolves on runners J, Figs. 1 and 3, or the locking-screw b may be dispensed with and the platform made to turn about the electrolier upon the suspending rope, chain, or rod R, in which case the circular roller-path may be firmly secured to the platform by the clamping screws or bolts w, so that the platform cannot revolve on the runners J, but solely upon the rope, chain, or rod R.

A preferable feature of my improved platform is the counterbalancing mechanism. The counterweights M M are moved by the operator by moving the cross-head O, Figs. After the platform, with the workman, has been hoisted to a working position with the pendant, Fig. 6, and the workman begins to move upon the platform his weight is constantly counterbalanced by the counterbalance-weights M M moving in an opposite direction to that in which he moves. This keeps the platform always poised. and prevents injury to the pendant which is being operated upon and relieves it of any undue cross strains. W hen two men work upon the platform, this counterweight may be removed, as the weight of one man will then balance the weight of the other. A platform and handrail may then be provided at both ends of the frame A.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a portable platform and a suspending, raising and lowering rope attached to a central upright thereof and passing through the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, substantially as shown and described.

2. A portable platform suspended, raised and lowered by means of a rope attached to a central upright of the platform and passing through the central tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, substantially as shown and described.

3. A portable platform suspended, raised and lowered by a rope attached to a central upright thereof and passing through the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counterbalancing-weight on one end or side, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of a portable platform and a suspending, raising and lowering rope passing through the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counterbalancing-weight on one end or side which is actuated by means of a rope mechanism operated by a sliding crosshead on the other end or side of the platform, substantially as shown and described.

5. A portable platform, suspended, raised and lowered by a rope passing through the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers,or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counterbalancing-weight on one end or side which is actuated by means of a rope mechanism operated by a sliding cross-head on the other end or side of the platform, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination of a portable platform, a suspending, raising and lowering rope attached to a central upright thereof and passing through the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counterbalancing-weight on oneend or side which is actuated by the operator on the other end or side to keep the platform in a horizontal position, substantially as shown and described.

7. A portable platform suspended, raised and lowered by a rope attached to a central upright thereof and passing through the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counterbalancing-weight on one end or side which is actuated by the operator on the other end or side to keep the platform in a horizontal position, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination of a portable platform, and a suspending, raising and lowering rope passing through'the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counterbalancing-weight on one end or side which is actuated by means of a sliding cross-head on the other end or side of the platform, the top part of the central upright of said platform having a sleeve which fits over the lower end of said center tube forming an aXis around which the operator may revolve the platform, substantially as shown and described.

9. A portable platform suspended, raised and lowered by a rope passing through the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counterbalancing-weight on one end or side which is actuated by means of a sliding crosshead on the other end or side of the platform, the top part of the central upright of said platform having a sleeve which fits over the lower end of said center tube forming an axis around which the operator may revolve the platform, substantially as shown and described.

10. The combination of a portable platform, and a suspending, raising and lowering rope passing through the center tube of electroliers,

gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counterbalancing-weight on one end or side which is actuated by means of a sliding cross-head on the other end or side of the platform, said platform having a pinching-screw fitted in a socket which forms the top part of the central upright of the platform for firmly securing it to the center tube of said pendants, said platform also having a roller-path and runners, on' which the operator may revolve it around said pendants, substantially as shown and described.

11. A portable platform suspended, raised and lowered by a rope passing through the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counterbalancing-weighton one end or side which is actuated by means of a sliding crosshead on the other end or side of the platform, said platform having a pinching-screw fitted in a socket which forms the top part of the central upright of the platform for firmly securing it to the center tube of said pendants, said platform also having a roller-path and runners, on which the operator may revolve it around said pendants, substantially as shown and described.

12. The combination of a portable platform, and a suspending, raising and lowering rope passing through the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counter-balancing-weight on one end or side which is actuated by means of a sliding cross-head moving along said platform in an opposite direction to that in which the weight moves, said platform having a pinching-screw fitted in a socket which forms the top part of the central upright of the platform for firmly securing it to the center tube of said pendants, said platform also having a roller-path and runners on which the operator may revolve it around said pendants, substantially as shown and described.

13. A portable platform suspended, raised and lowered by a rope passing through the center tube of electroliers, gasoliers, or other pendants hanging from ceilings or roofs of buildings, said platform having a movable counterbalancing-weight on'one end or side which is actuated by means of a sliding crosshead moving along said platform in an opposite direction to that in which the weight moves, said platform having a pinching-screw fitted in a socket which forms the top part of the central upright of the platform for firmly securing it to the center tube of said pendants, said platform also having a roller-path and runners on which the operator may revolve it around said pendants, substantially as shown and described,

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 26th day of June, 1903.

JOHN DOWVNS.

WVitnesses:

R. Nus'rAoorr, ALFRED NUTTING. 

